Hops are grown commercially for use in flavoring beers, stouts and ales. Lupulin glands inside female hop cones provide the resins and essential oils which are the primary components of the hop flavor each variety imparts to beers, stouts, and ales. New hop varieties are evaluated for their growing characteristics, per acre hop cone yield (dried to approximately 8% moisture), the chemical composition of the resins and essential oils contained within the hop cone's lupulin glands, and the unique flavor each variety imparts to beers, stouts and ales. Only female hop plants produce cones containing lupulin glands, and thus only female hops have any commercial value. Male hop plants have no commercial value other than for use in breeding programs to create new varieties.
This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of hop and more particularly to an asexually reproduced hop variety selected from among hop plants resulting from a controlled cross pollination between an unpatented Galena female hop with unpatented John I. Haas, Inc. (Haas) male hop No. 833-53M.
Haas male hop No. 833-53M originated from a controlled cross pollination in 1982 between unpatented female hop USDA Accession No. 21055 and unpatented male hop USDA Accession No. 63015M.
The controlled cross pollination program resulting in the creation of the new hop variety, hereafter called "H87207-2", was performed in 1986 by Mr. Gene Probasco, a botanist employed by John I. Haas, Inc., in a Haas greenhouse located at 1112 N. 16th Avenue, Yakima, Wash. 98902. Mr. Probasco discovered the H87207-2 variety in 1988, among the hop plants which were produced from the seeds resulting from the above described controlled cross pollination program.
The seeds from the cross between Galena female hop and Haas male hop No. 833-53M were planted in a Haas greenhouse in 1987. The most vigorous plants resulting from the cross were selected and planted in a Haas hop field located at Wada Farm, Yakima Golding Farms, Toppenish, Wash. This planting did not produce a crop during the planting year.
In 1988, as a result of chemical analysis and field observations of the hop plants resulting from the Galena female .times. Haas male 833-53M cross, Mr. Probasco was attracted to the H87207-2 hop plant for its unusually high percentage of beta acids, coupled with a relatively high percentage of alpha acids and a reasonable projected per acre cone yield. The per acre cone yield projections were based upon the cone production of the single H87207-2 hop plant observed in 1988. The H87207-2 plant was not asexually reproduced in 1988. The plant of this application has been repeatedly asexually reproduced by rooting of cuttings at the address identified above. The clones of this plant have been observed to be identical to the original selection in every distinguishing characteristic and establish that the plant is genetically stable through successive generations by asexual propagation.
In 1988, brewing trials with hop cones from the new H87207-2 variety were conducted on a confidential and secret basis by a major brewery. For trade secret reasons, the identity of this brewery must remain confidential. The purpose of brewing trials is to ensure that beers, stouts, or ales produced using the new hop variety as indistinguishable in flavor, aroma and appearance from beers, stouts, or ales produced using the brewery's existing hop variety. This type of quality control is essential for a brewery to guarantee to its customers that a specific brand of beer, stout, or ale will consistently be the same when the new hop variety is used.
As a result of these 1988 brewing trials, the brewery decided to continue these tests of the new H87207-2 variety to determine the stability of its flavor, aroma and appearance characteristics over a period of years. Brewing trials with new varieties are usually conducted over a minimum of 3 years by major breweries before any decision is made as to whether or not the brewery will use the new variety in its brewing operation.
In 1989, the H87207-2 plant was not asexually reproduced. Further chemical analysis and field observations confirmed the new variety's unusually high percentage of beta acids, and its relatively high percentage of alpha acids and reasonable projected per acre cone yield. Brewing trials were again conducted by the same major brewery on a confidential basis, and resulted in the brewery deciding to continue trials with the new variety for a third year.
In 1990, second (2nd) generation rootstock from the H87207-2 variety was planted in a one acre test plot located at Wada Farm. This planting did not produce a crop during the planting year.
However, in 1990, chemical analysis and field observations of hop cones from the original H87207-2 variety again confirmed the new variety's unusually high percentage of beta acids, and its relatively high percentage of alpha acids and reasonable projected per acre cone yield. A third year of brewing trails by the same major brewery resulted in the brewery deciding to continue test for a fourth year, with the fourth year tests to be conducted on hop cones from second generation plants.
In 1991, the first harvestable crop of the second (2nd) generation plants in the one-acre test plot provided additional information supporting the per acre cone yield projections made from the original H87207-2 plant identified in 1988 and confirmed the unusually high beta acids percentage characteristic of the new variety. The analytical data from chemical analysis of multiple random samples from bales of cones harvested from the one acre test plot showed an average beta acids percentage of 10.70% (ASBC spectrophotometric method). The first year per acre cone production for this one acre test plot was well within the average range of per acre cone production for a commercially viable hop variety. It is important to note that first year per acre cone yields in Washington state typically are lower than normal per acre yields for Washington state hop fields in subsequent years. Consequently, the per acre cone yield observations made from this first year one acre test plot were used to merely project anticipated normal yields for the new variety.
In 1991, the major brewery performed brewing trials of the first year crop of the second (2nd) generation plants in the one acre test plot. These tests were successful and the brewery decided to continue trials on beers brewed with hop cones from second (2nd) and third (3rd) generation plants in 1992.
Also, in 1991, John I. Haas, Inc., performed the first year trials of hexane extraction of the soft resins which include alpha acids and beta acids (hereafter "alpha acids extraction") on bales of the H87207-2 hop variety from the first crop produced from the one acre test plot. These initial extraction trials were successful because Haas was able to extract a minimum of 93% of the alpha acids present in the H87207-2 hop cones. John I. Haas, Inc., requires that a minimum of 93% of alpha acids be extractable from a new hop variety in order for the new variety to be considered potentially commercially viable.
In 1992, second (2nd) and third (3rd) generation rootstock frm the H87207-2 variety was planted in a larger test plot of approximately 10 acres (large acreage test plot) at a John I. Haas, Inc. farm located at Toppenish, Wash. This planting did not yield a crop in 1992.
Also in 1992, the second (2nd) generation rootstock in the one acre test plot at Wada Farm was subjected to a second year of field observation and chemical analysis. In 1992, the second year per acre cone production from the one acre test plot was again well within the range of per acre cone production for a commercially viable hop variety.
The 1992 analytical data from chemical analysis of multiple random samples from bales of cones harvested from one acre test plot showed an average beta acids percentage of 11.10%. The second year hexane extraction trials confirmed again that Haas was able to consistently extract a minimum of 93% of the alpha acids present in second (2nd) generation H87207-2 hop cones. The 1992 brewing trials with this new variety have not yet been completed.
All of the testing and evaluation of the H87207-2 variety's growing characteristics, per acre hop cone yield, analytical data and soft resin (alpha acids) extraction tests were carried out on hop farms, laboratory facilities, and industrial extraction facilities which are wholly owned and controlled by John I. Haas, Inc. All of the brewing trials conducted by a major brewery on this new variety were conducted on a confidential and secret basis.
Based upon the field observations performed, and chemical analytical data collected, during this testing and evaluation program from 1988 through 1992, it appears that second (2nd) and third (3rd) generation H87207-2 hop plants demonstrate genetic stability with respect to the new variety's novel characteristic of unusually high beta acids yields. Also, the new H87207-2 variety demonstrates genetic stability with respect to the production of commercially viable per acre hop cone yields.
This new hop variety has been carefully compared to its unpatented female parent Galena, and to is unpatented female grandparent USDA Accession No. 21055. (Please note that the hop industry does not make or rely upon any comparisons between new varieties and their male parents or male grandparents, because male hops have no commercial value). The primary difference between the new H87207-2 variety and its female parent and grandparent varieties is the unusually high beta acids percentages in bales of harvested hop cones.